wow I'm not sure what fight some you guys watched but Leben looked really good to me here what sherdog pbp thought

Chris Leben (Pictures) vs. Terry Martin (Pictures)Round 1Leben kicks at the legs while Martin rushes in with a jab and right hands. Martin drops down a level and takes Leben to the canvas with a double-leg takedown. Now back on their feet, Martin lands with a left and a right. Leben answers with two knees to the chin. Leben looks to be the more refined striker but Martin has an obvious power advantage. Herb Dean takes a point from Leben for gripping the fence while Martin attempted to throw him to the floor. Leben gets busy with strikes and briefly lights Martin up with a right hand. Leben stomps the feet before the horn sounds. Close round. 9-9 for Leben (point deduction).

Round 2Martin looks fatigued in the second. Leben attacks the legs and goes back to foot stomps from the clinch. Just when it looked as if Leben was close to putting it together, Martin scored with a takedown. Leben fires elbows to the head from the bottom. Triangle is applied from Leben, but he runs out of time. 10-9 for Leben.

Round 3Martin starts to score in the third. He clinches and delivers some knees to the head. Martin crushes the body and follows with a right hand to the chin. Leben answers. Martin is completely gassed but he musters enough energy to sloppily tackle the TUF veteran. Lebe, now equally tired, eats two left hands. Leben tries to trip Martin but the Chicagoan stuffs it and takes the top position. Martin stands. Left hand staggers Leben. Unbelievable ... Leben digs deep and knocks Martin out with a left hand. The time is 3:56 of the final round.

now name 9 better MW's in the UFC

Not in any order1-Silva2-Franklin3-Starnes4-Macdonald5-Marquardt6-Okami7-Grove8-Cote9-Kampmann10-Lietes11-McFedries12-Tanner(maybe coming back)13-Terrell14-Herman

wow I'm not sure what fight some you guys watched but Leben looked really good to me here what sherdog pbp thought

Chris Leben (Pictures) vs. Terry Martin (Pictures)Round 1Leben kicks at the legs while Martin rushes in with a jab and right hands. Martin drops down a level and takes Leben to the canvas with a double-leg takedown. Now back on their feet, Martin lands with a left and a right. Leben answers with two knees to the chin. Leben looks to be the more refined striker but Martin has an obvious power advantage. Herb Dean takes a point from Leben for gripping the fence while Martin attempted to throw him to the floor. Leben gets busy with strikes and briefly lights Martin up with a right hand. Leben stomps the feet before the horn sounds. Close round. 9-9 for Leben (point deduction).

Round 2Martin looks fatigued in the second. Leben attacks the legs and goes back to foot stomps from the clinch. Just when it looked as if Leben was close to putting it together, Martin scored with a takedown. Leben fires elbows to the head from the bottom. Triangle is applied from Leben, but he runs out of time. 10-9 for Leben.

Round 3Martin starts to score in the third. He clinches and delivers some knees to the head. Martin crushes the body and follows with a right hand to the chin. Leben answers. Martin is completely gassed but he musters enough energy to sloppily tackle the TUF veteran. Lebe, now equally tired, eats two left hands. Leben tries to trip Martin but the Chicagoan stuffs it and takes the top position. Martin stands. Left hand staggers Leben. Unbelievable ... Leben digs deep and knocks Martin out with a left hand. The time is 3:56 of the final round.

now name 9 better MW's in the UFC

Not in any order1-Silva2-Franklin3-Starnes4-Macdonald5-Marquardt6-Okami7-Grove8-Cote9-Kampmann10-Lietes11-McFedries12-Tanner(maybe coming back)13-Terrell14-Herman

wow I'm not sure what fight some you guys watched but Leben looked really good to me here what sherdog pbp thought

Chris Leben (Pictures) vs. Terry Martin (Pictures)Round 1Leben kicks at the legs while Martin rushes in with a jab and right hands. Martin drops down a level and takes Leben to the canvas with a double-leg takedown. Now back on their feet, Martin lands with a left and a right. Leben answers with two knees to the chin. Leben looks to be the more refined striker but Martin has an obvious power advantage. Herb Dean takes a point from Leben for gripping the fence while Martin attempted to throw him to the floor. Leben gets busy with strikes and briefly lights Martin up with a right hand. Leben stomps the feet before the horn sounds. Close round. 9-9 for Leben (point deduction).

Round 2Martin looks fatigued in the second. Leben attacks the legs and goes back to foot stomps from the clinch. Just when it looked as if Leben was close to putting it together, Martin scored with a takedown. Leben fires elbows to the head from the bottom. Triangle is applied from Leben, but he runs out of time. 10-9 for Leben.

Round 3Martin starts to score in the third. He clinches and delivers some knees to the head. Martin crushes the body and follows with a right hand to the chin. Leben answers. Martin is completely gassed but he musters enough energy to sloppily tackle the TUF veteran. Lebe, now equally tired, eats two left hands. Leben tries to trip Martin but the Chicagoan stuffs it and takes the top position. Martin stands. Left hand staggers Leben. Unbelievable ... Leben digs deep and knocks Martin out with a left hand. The time is 3:56 of the final round.

now name 9 better MW's in the UFC

Not in any order1-Silva2-Franklin3-Starnes4-Macdonald5-Marquardt6-Okami7-Grove8-Cote9-Kampmann10-Lietes11-McFedries12-Tanner(maybe coming back)13-Terrell14-Herman

wow I'm not sure what fight some you guys watched but Leben looked really good to me here what sherdog pbp thought

Chris Leben (Pictures) vs. Terry Martin (Pictures)Round 1Leben kicks at the legs while Martin rushes in with a jab and right hands. Martin drops down a level and takes Leben to the canvas with a double-leg takedown. Now back on their feet, Martin lands with a left and a right. Leben answers with two knees to the chin. Leben looks to be the more refined striker but Martin has an obvious power advantage. Herb Dean takes a point from Leben for gripping the fence while Martin attempted to throw him to the floor. Leben gets busy with strikes and briefly lights Martin up with a right hand. Leben stomps the feet before the horn sounds. Close round. 9-9 for Leben (point deduction).

Round 2Martin looks fatigued in the second. Leben attacks the legs and goes back to foot stomps from the clinch. Just when it looked as if Leben was close to putting it together, Martin scored with a takedown. Leben fires elbows to the head from the bottom. Triangle is applied from Leben, but he runs out of time. 10-9 for Leben.

Round 3Martin starts to score in the third. He clinches and delivers some knees to the head. Martin crushes the body and follows with a right hand to the chin. Leben answers. Martin is completely gassed but he musters enough energy to sloppily tackle the TUF veteran. Lebe, now equally tired, eats two left hands. Leben tries to trip Martin but the Chicagoan stuffs it and takes the top position. Martin stands. Left hand staggers Leben. Unbelievable ... Leben digs deep and knocks Martin out with a left hand. The time is 3:56 of the final round.

now name 9 better MW's in the UFC

Not in any order1-Silva2-Franklin3-Starnes4-Macdonald5-Marquardt6-Okami7-Grove8-Cote9-Kampmann10-Lietes11-McFedries12-Tanner(maybe coming back)13-Terrell14-Herman

You listed guys Leben's beat before, his best friend and guys that aren't in the UFC and a guy who have't fought in years great list.

He showed a large improvement, in that he was more patient and didn't throw everything he had with every punch. he was still gassed at the end of the fight though. Leben's biggest strength last night was still the same strength he had before, he is really hard to knock out, but obviously you put him up against people with precise, great strking (A. Silva, etc.) and he is going to get hammered. Leben did show some submission skills though, which we hadn't really seen much before.

the guy looked much more focused and in control than ive seen him in the past, so id say all in all he seems to have improved. that being said hes a gatekeeper no more no less, and he can make for an exciting fight whether hes taking or giving the damage. i wouldnt be at all surprised to see him in ICON for his next fight, now that hes the head trainer there it just makes sense, but who knows this wn might get him a new ufc deal.

I started the thread simply to state that Leben is growing and maturing as a fighter. I dont think he's in the top ten and I never said he was. I think he'll continue to improve and maybe someday he will be but not anytime soon.

Yea ill give Leben one thing he looks like genius for taking the fight with Terry now. I mean he knocked him out when he contract is up and Martin was on his tear and pushing for title shot and Leben threw a wrench into Martins plan. No one is talking about how he traded Swick for Martin (though Swick ended up injured.) He comes out smelling like a rose. I think he looked a lot better then i remember him looking but i still think he has a long long long ways to go. I really wonder though what would of happened if he did in fact fight Swick.

He didnt look his best but he is seriously improving from the past four fights, which have been a bad time in his career. Im glad to see he willing to change up his fight camp, style and conditioning to make it in the UFC and it still makes him one of my favorite fighters. I mean, did you guys see how cut he was compared to past fights! thats a improvemnt in itself, I only see give getting more toned and skilled in the cage as he gets more fights, he can make it back up the middleweight ladder if he gives it his all and can become a contender in that weight division